


Ending the Session

by Lightningpelt



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Ghosts, M/M, Occult, Ouija, Ouiji Boards, Spirits, but he also gets to be the hero this time~, minor/background puzzleshipping because i take them for granted, ryou summoning spirits again bc its an important theme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-07-14 15:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16043618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightningpelt/pseuds/Lightningpelt
Summary: Into Ryou's lonely apartment comes a spirit, an ancient power that speaks and manifests through the Ouija board kept beneath the bed. It calls itself Tou, and claims to be human. Ryou believes.





	1. Tou

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another oneshot that got out of hand and is now a three-chapter minific. *flops* 
> 
> I messed around quite a bit with the way I wrote Ouija board communications before I was satisfied, but my intention was to portray it as accurately as I could based on how Ryou would observe it. Hope it worked out alright! 
> 
> Please enjoy~

Ryou Bakura arrived home; his small apartment greeted him with silence, and with the faint scent of his supper simmering in the slow-cooker. He flicked on the light and put down his grocery bags, then set to putting his groceries away. At some point, he reached up to tug the tie out of his hair, letting the white locks tumble down around his shoulders. He didn't bother to work the tangles out with his fingers. 

The only sounds were the squeak of the refrigerator door, the rustling of plastic bags, and Ryou's occasional, thoughtful mutters as he tried to find space for milk and whipping cream among plates of thawing puff pastry. 

Once the groceries were put away, Ryou checked the personal-sized roast in his slow-cooker, steam bathing his face as he opened the lid. He added in chopped vegetables for the last half-hour of cooking, then went to shower. When he emerged, dressed in a plush house-robe and with damp hair clinging to his neck, he collected his supper and took it to his secondhand dining table. 

The meat was tender and delicious, and Ryou hummed softly into the silence as he ate. Still, he thought, perhaps he could add a bit more onion in, next time he fixed the recipe. He answered a couple of texts from friends, phone sitting beside his plate—a question about a shared college class from Jounochi Katsuya; a invite to coffee from Yugi Mutuo; an amusing internet post that Honda Hiroto had forwarded him. He smiled, thinking of his friends. 

Ryou finished his dinner; started the dishwasher; sliced himself a generous piece of the creme cake he had made the night before; retreated to his bedroom. 

In the hush of his apartment, Ryou sat on his bedroom floor; turned off his lamp. He set his cake down and pulled out a box from beneath his bed. From within the box, he pulled out two pillar candles and lit their already-blackened wicks, then set them up in front of himself. He pulled a woody amulet out from beneath his shirt and let it hang prominently against his chest, then set a notebook and pen beside his cake, within easy reach on his right. Last, he unfolded a worn-out board bearing the alphabet, a set of numeric symbols, a "yes" in the upper left corner, a "no" in the upper right corner, and "goodbye" spelled out at the bottom. 

With one hand, he cut himself off a forkful of cake; with the other, he moved the planchette onto the board's "G." 

"Hello," he said, into the silence of his apartment. He kept his left hand light on the planchette. "Is anyone here?" 

Nothing disturbed the hush; Ryou took a bite of his cake. Any apprehension he had once had about using the Ouija board had faded with time. It was as normal to him, now, as fixing his dinner or taking a shower. He'd lost count of the candle-stubs that had gathered in the bottom of the Ouija board's worn box. Though he knew—and believed, to a greater or lesser extent—that using a Ouija board alone was a bad practice, in general, it was the only way he had ever played with one.

"Hello?" he called again. Some nights, there was no answer. Some nights, the apartment remained silent. 

That night was not such a night. 

"h-e-l-l-o-t-h-e-r-e" 

Ryou felt a smile break onto his face, honestly delighted when the planchette moved slowly across the board. He could feel the presence—long practice had given him some physical sense of it, whenever a spirit answered the board's call. This particular spirit had a somewhat more powerful presence, though the planchette seemed almost cautious, and Ryou shivered. 

"Hello!" he said, making an effort to sound friendly. "I'm Ryou—Ryou Bakura! What's your name?" 

"im called... tou..." the pointer spelled out. 

Ryou felt a thrill travel through him, from his pounding heart and into the fingertips of his left hand. He scribbled down _t-o-u_ in his notebook, with his right hand. "Tou? Nice to meet you!" 

"nice... to meet you... ryou..." was the reply, and Ryou's smile grew. 

"What are you, Tou? If you don't mind me asking." 

The planchette hesitated; Ryou could feel that the spirit hadn't left, but it didn't answer immediately. When it did, it spelled out, "h-u-m-a-n" 

While aware that spirits weren't always the most truthful of beings, Ryou was inclined to believe this one. There was something oddly fervent about the answer, and Ryou heard the word as if it had been spoken aloud: _human_. 

"That's nice. So am I." 

"h-a-h-a... i would assume so..." 

"Have you spoken to the living like this, before?" 

"yes... once or twice..." 

"Oh? Do you like it?" 

"i appreciate the company..." 

There was a wryness about the reply, and Ryou laughed aloud. "That's why I do it, too. I like the company. Thank you for answering!" 

The planchette was still, for a moment, and then spelled out, "youre odd... different from others ive talked to..." 

"Really? How so?" 

"n-e-d-j-e-m" 

Ryou blinked. He was confident in his ability to read the board, but the word seemed like nonsense. He jotted it down, to be sure, and still couldn't identify it visually: _nedjem_. 

"you live alone..." the spirit spelled out, and it occurred to Ryou suddenly that there was no question mark on the board. He didn't know whether to interpret it as observation or question, but decided to answer it anyway. 

"Yes. I moved out of my family's home when I started college." 

"no roommate..." 

"No." 

"friends..." 

"Yes!" Ryou was surprised, but genuinely pleased. He'd never had a spirit engage him about his own life, in such a way. There wasn't much to tell, but he was glad to share what there was. "I have some very good friends." 

"thats good..." 

"Do you have any friends? Wherever you are?" Ryou asked. 

"haha... no... no friends for me..." 

Ryou felt a stab of sadness. "I'll be your friend, if you'd like." 

The planchette moved suddenly, erratically, almost slipping from beneath his hand. Ryou squeaked in surprise, but watched closely; assured himself that the movement was apparently random, not calculated figure-eights or a numerical pattern. The candles flickered. 

"youre crazy..." the spirit spelled out, when it had calmed. "what do you think youre doing... making an offer like that..." 

"I think I'm making a friend," Ryou said, a bit indignant. "Just because you're a spirit doesn't mean we couldn't be friends." 

"and i suppose youve made friends with spirits before..." 

"Well, no," Ryou admitted. "I've made contact with spirits before, lots of times, but..." 

"but what..." 

"But they don't usually come back." 

There was a pause. Then, the spirit said, "i cant imagine why..." 

Ryou felt heat rise to his face, and tried to convince himself that he wasn't being charmed by a wandering spirit that had appeared at his Ouija board. "I'm not a very interesting person..." 

"youre kind though..." 

"I-I'm not anything special." 

"i beg to differ..." 

"You've known me for five minutes!" Ryou objected. 

"thats true..." the spirit calling itself Tou replied. "but id like to know you for much longer..." 

Ryou pulled up short; realized what he'd just read. "Oh... I mean, of course! Does that mean we'll be friends?" 

"sure... if youd like to call us that..." 

And again Ryou smiled. "Of course! Glad to be your friend, Tou!" 

"glad to be your friend... ryou... well talk again..." 

"Do you want me to end the session, then?" 

"for now..." 

Though slightly saddened, Ryou nodded. "Alright. Is it strenuous, to make contact like this?" 

"a bit... im a tired old spirit ryou..." 

"How old are you, Tou? If you don't mind me asking." 

"three thousand long years"

... ... ... 

Ryou lay awake, deep into the night, thinking about the three-thousand year old spirit that called itself Tou. He stared up at his blank ceiling, wondering why the apartment didn't feel as empty as it usually did.

 _The spirit might not come back..._ he reflected, _no matter what it said..._

He hoped Tou would come back. Perhaps, he thought, Tou hadn't even left, after the session had ended. 

When morning came, Ryou resisted the urge to pull out the Ouija board; went about his morning routine, instead, in the silence of the apartment. He left for his morning classes, and then worked an uneventful shift at his local bookstore. But when he returned home, he could scarcely be bothered to fix himself a sandwich out of leftovers for supper. 

He could _feel_ the spirit's presence, and felt certain that Tou would be there when he pulled out the Ouija board. 

He wasn't disappointed. 

"hello again ryou..." 

"Good evening, Tou! Thank you for answering!"

"its not as if i have much else to do..." 

"So, have you been a spirit for three thousand years?" 

"ha... well i wasnt alive for three thousand years..." 

Ryou huffed. "I guess I meant, well... have you been a _wandering_ spirit for that long?" 

"i never made it to the afterlife... if thats what you mean..." 

Ryou's eyes widened. "So there is one, in proper? An afterlife?" He hoped such a question didn't apply as inquiring about his own death—a thing to be absolutely avoided when using a Ouija board. 

"there is..." was Tou's reply. "anubis guards its gates well... even i have no chance at sneaking in..." 

Ryou couldn't tell if the spirit was being tongue-in-cheek; it didn't seem like a serious response, although the board didn't allow for clues like tone or facial expression. "It's not painful, though, is it? Being wherever you are?" 

"are you asking if im in hell..." 

"No!" Ryou replied. "I mean... I suppose, but that's not why I'm asking. I'm concerned!" 

"concerned... about a spirit you just met yesterday..." The planchette moved slowly, and Ryou wondered if it was due to bemusement or derision. But he was certain he could feel Tou's pretense, in the apartment, and it didn't feel spiteful. 

"I am. It would bother me, if you were in pain." When the spirit didn't respond, Ryou forged on ahead. "You don't seem like a spirit reaching out from hell, though, or whatever version of the concept of hell actually exists. I imagine a spirit like that would be more... volatile. Even if they weren't abjectly hostile, or bad, existing under those conditions would wear at someone." 

"wandering around for three thousand years can wear on someone too..." 

"I'm sure it does." 

The planchette moved back and forth, just slightly; pensively. Ryou waited patiently for the spirit to speak again, content to feel the gentle rock of the pointer beneath his hands. When the next message finally came through, it was, "i would give anything to be alive again..." 

"I'm sure. I'm sorry." 

"for what... not you... dont apologize..." 

Ryou paused; chose his next words carefully. "I'm sorry you had to die. And I'm sorry this is how we have to meet." 

The spirit, too, took a moment to reply. "youre still young... too young to think of death as reality..." 

"How old were you when you died, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"2-0" 

Ryou felt a stab of sadness. "That's how old I am..." 

"well... ive still got three thousand years on you..." 

Ryou smiled. "That's true, I suppose." 

"it wasnt so terribly young... by the standards of when i lived..." The spirit seemed to be musing aloud, and Ryou appreciated being privy to its thoughts. "most only lived to forty... maybe fifty with luck..." 

"Where did you live, Tou?" 

"somewhere far from here..." 

The answer surprised Ryou. The spirit hadn't shied from answering any questions so far—although again, Ryou had to remind himself, the truthfulness of such answers couldn't be taken for granted—so the dodge was unexpected. Ryou decided quickly not to press the matter. 

"Do you know why you're wandering? Why you can't find peace? I could try to help, if you wanted..." 

"have you done that with other spirits... played medium..." 

Ryou shook his head. "No... but I figured I'd offer. If you don't want that, that's fine, too." 

Tou was silent for a long moment; Ryou could feel a light pressure on his hands, above the planchette. "no... no i dont want that... i know whats keeping me here and its not a thing you can help me deal with..." 

"I can be a sympathetic ear, at least. Do you want to talk about it? The thing that's keeping you here?" 

"no" 

The answer was abrupt and decisive, and Ryou nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry if I upset you." 

"h-a-h-a-h-a-h-a..." The laughter made Ryou blink, surprised. "upset me... no... no... its nothing you did..." 

"But you are upset?" 

"a little... i told you ryou... im a tired tired old spirit... and talking about things like this... im damn tired..." 

"If you want to talk about something else—" 

"i cant take much more of this ryou..." 

Ryou paused; waited to see if the spirit would elaborate, and then asked, "Much more of what?" 

"of being dead... i want to live again... id give anything..." 

Ryou's skin prickled with alarm. It was a dangerous thing for a spirit to say. And yet he still felt no malice or aggression from the spirit—only bitterness and exhaustion. 

"I'm so sorry, Tou." 

"dont... apologize..." 

"I'm so sorry..." 

The planchette moved aimlessly for a moment, like a restless pacing. Then Tou said, "dont apologize... you are... helping..." 

"Thank you, Tou. I appreciate your company, too!" 

The planchette was still, although again Ryou could feel the presence lingering in his room. Then, "end the session... for now... im sorry i just... have to rest... a while..." 

"Of course." Ryou smiled; tried to infuse his voice with all the affection that might be conveyed by a parting embrace. "Rest well, Tou. I'll talk to you again." 

"talk to you... soon..." 

"Goodbye." 

"goodbye"


	2. A King of Thieves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay... "orz Thank you for your support in the first chapter! <3 
> 
> This isn't the best thing I've ever written, not by a long shot, but I'm still having a _ton_ of fun with it, and I hope you will as well~

For nearly a week, Ryou spoke to the spirit daily—sometimes twice daily. Yugi commented that Ryou seemed happier, when they met for coffee. Ryou shrugged off the comment, mumbling some half-truth about doing well in his classes. In reality, his homework hadn't been getting done with quite the level of diligence he usually held himself to. 

Ryou hadn't learned much about how the spirit, Tou, had lived, but it didn't much matter. He had learned, in his estimation, many far more important things. Tou was pragmatic, for instance, and jaded, but had an unexpectedly lively sense of humor. At first Ryou had struggled to detect the spirit's jokes, through the toneless board. But he'd also grown far more attuned to the feel of Tou's presence, in his apartment, and fancied that he could sense Tou's general emotional state. 

It worried Ryou that the spirit would grow suddenly tense, at times; would flicker with what appeared to be anxiety, or at least agitation, and usually request and end to the session. While Tou always offered fatigue as the explanation—and sometimes it was; Ryou could feel the weight of the spirit's exhaustion—those times were different. Ryou wondered what could cause a spirit like Tou to feel that way, and decided he had no basis with which to even form a hypothesis. 

_"i know whats keeping me here..."_ Tou had said, _"and its not a thing you can help me deal with..."_ Ryou wished that that weren't true, but accepted it nevertheless, and so didn't pry. 

Ryou stood, one evening, at the stove, preparing diner. The apartment was quiet. He was looking forward to speaking to Tou, later, but for the moment was quite enraptured in his cooking. The sizzling strips of meat made a pleasant crackling, and Ryou hummed along with the sound. They filled the apartment, too, with a heady aroma of meat and herbs, and Ryou bent in over the stove to assess whether or not he needed to add more of any particular seasoning before checking his rice on the rear burner. 

The pepper grinder, on the far side of the counter, struck the ground with a jarring crash, and Ryou jumped. He looked around; heard nothing, save for the sizzling of beef in the pan. He glanced down at the pepper, rolling pensively across the floor. 

"Tou...?" 

The pepper grinder picked up speed suddenly—bumped into Ryou's foot. He smiled. 

"Give me a second, okay?" Turning back to the stove, he lowered the heat; checked his rice again, and then scampered from the room. When he returned, he had the Ouija board tucked under his arm. He placed it beside the bloodied cutting board on his counter and opened it. 

"Hello, Tou!" 

"your dinner smells maddeningly good...” was the immediate reply, and Ryou chuckled. 

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" 

"its important...” The pointer moved rapidly, a challenge to read, even for someone as practiced as Ryou. "youre a really good cook...” 

"I didn't realize you could smell." 

"i can hear and see and smell... i just cant touch or taste... no body yknow..." 

"Fair enough." 

"i want some of your dinner so badly i could die..." 

"I wish you could join me," Ryou said, honestly. 

There was a pause, and Ryou tilted his head; waited patiently. He could tell that the spirit hadn't left. 

"thanks for talking to me...” 

"Of course!" Ryou said, surprised. "I'm happy you want to talk to me, too!" 

"its not so common for humans to contact us... not so common for them to be so open either... usually they get freaked out the first time they manage to make contact and then never do it again and usually theyre these stupid kids drunk or just real jerks not the likable type at all... 

It was a long, rambling message, and Ryou waited for the pointer to still. Then he said, "I've used the board a lot. I've gotten responses, before, but never a spirit who's come back more than once or twice, let alone actually _initiated_ the contact. It's really nice!" 

Again, there was a pause, and when the pointer moved it did so rather slowly. "how do you know im not a bad spirit...” 

"I don't, I guess, not for sure. But I don't think you are." 

"when i told you i was called tou that was a bit of a lie... half a lie...” 

"Oh?" Ryou tilted his head; waited for the spirit to continue. 

"i was called touzokuo... king of thieves...” 

"Oh. That's a cool title." 

"cool you say cool...” The pointer moved so fast it almost jarred Ryou's hand free, and he jumped. "hahahahahaha... youre weird you know that... king of thieves is what they call a bad guy... i was a bad guy when i was alive...” 

"That doesn't mean you're a bad spirit, now that you're not alive," Ryou said patiently, and the pointer fell still. There was the faint smell of something beginning to burn. 

"youre a kind person to say that... but you should be careful... i had quite a reputation as not only a thief... but a killer..." 

"I don't sense any blood-lust from you now, though," Ryou said, and the spirit was silent. "You aren't a bad spirit. I may not have any way to know, but I'm sure of it." 

The pointer stayed still, for another moment, and then moved toward "goodbye." Ryou hurried to ask another question before it got there. 

"What was your favorite food, when you were alive?!" he blurted—the first thing that came to his mind. To his relief, the pointer stilled. 

"roast pig..." was the slow response, after a beat. Ryou smiled, relieved. 

"Really? I'm more of a dessert person, myself, but savory foods can be really good. Especially when you're hungry." 

"aha... thats very true..." 

"Were you hungry, a lot? Is that why you became a thief?" 

"dont try to make excuses for what i just told you..." 

"I'm not," Ryou huffed, a bit indignant. "I just want to know you better. I want to understand you." 

"i was hungry..." the thief said, after a moment. "i was angry too... i wanted to get back at the whole world..." 

Ryou considered that, then said, "I wish you could join me, for supper." 

"your foods starting to burn... you should get that... itd be tragic to ruin it..." 

Ryou nodded, but as he went to leave the board, some near-physical force held his hand to the pointer. 

"r-y-o-u" the spirit spelled out, with a force that surprised the human boy. "end the session... never leave without saying goodbye... youve used the board enough to know that..." 

Ryou hesitated, then nodded. "Sorry. You're right, of course... Goodbye, Tou." 

And the pointer, in response, moved to, "goodbye".

... ... ... 

Ryou stifled a yawn; popped a piece for chocolate into his mouth, and took a swallow of coffee. The apartment felt unusually empty—devoid, in a rare moment, of spirits. And, though he knew he should sleep, Ryou had to take the opportunity to do research while he had the apartment to himself. So there he sat, at his desk, the light of the computer screen tinting his white hair light blue.

"King of Thieves... Thief King... Touzokuo..." 

So far, he hadn't found any historical figures matching those titles, but they were sufficiently vague enough to render standard search engines all but useless. 

It was three in the morning; Ryou took another sip of his coffee. 

'Didn't he say... wait, that garbled message...' 

Scrabbling through some papers beneath his bed, Ryou found the notebook he'd had during his first conversation with the spirit that called itself Touzokuo. He returned to his desk, then looked at the word that hadn't made any sense, at the time; the word he'd assumed to be some sort of spiritual typo: nedjem. 

Ryou ate another piece of candy; it had a pressed brown sugar center inside of milk chocolate, and he let it melt in his mouth, feeling the graininess as he rubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He typed "nedjem" into the computer, and hit enter. 

At first, nothing interesting showed up—the search engine tried to autocorrect his query to _needed_. So he tried "meaning of word nedjem," and hit enter once again. 

_A... carob pod...?_

Ryou's eyes widened slightly as he stared, surprised, at the hieroglyph that had appeared on his screen. He clicked on the first result, and read aloud, "Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying 'sweet,' represented visually by a carob pod and thought to be said as 'nedjem.' One instance documents a doubling of the symbol, presumably read 'nedjemnedjem,' to indicate a pleasing concubine." 

Ryou took a deep breath; tasted the sugar thick on his tongue, and took a drink of coffee to wash it down. 

_Ancient... Egypt..._

It made sense, the more he thought about it. Though he'd passed off the spirit's reference to Anubis, Anubis being a fairly well-known symbol of death even in modern times, it made a lot more sense if he considered it as an influence of the spirit's original culture. 

_So what did I ask? Why "nedjem"?_

He had asked what the spirit was called— _Tou_. He'd asked what the spirit was— _h-u-m-a-n_. He'd asked if the spirit had made contact with the living before— _once or twice_. 

Ryou ate a marshmallowy piece of candy that got stuck in his teeth, and momentarily distracted himself getting it out with his tongue. 

Then, it struck him. 

_"youre odd... different from others ive talked to..."_

_"Really? How so?"_

_"n-e-d-j-e-m"_

Ryou's hands flew to his face, and he tried not to read into the odd answer, now that he knew what the long-extinct word meant. After a few more fruitless internet searches, he'd worked himself into enough of a frenzy that the mere thought of sleep was impossible. And, the internet having failed him, he reached for his cell phone and knocked his pencil holder off his desk in the attempt.

... ... ... 

"Hnn..." Yugi Mutou raised his head as his cheerful ringtone cut through the silence. He dragged himself to the side of the bed, ignoring the bleary, angry muttering of the man sleeping beside him, and observed the time on the glowing screen—3:47—and the name. "Unh... Ryou-kun...? What is it...?"

"Yugi-kun! Ah, I'm so sorry, did I wake you?" 

"Ryou-kun, it's almost four in the morning..." Yugi stifled a yawn; listened to his friend squeak and shuffle frantically on the other end of the line.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I forgot, for a second... haha! I can call back tomorrow, if—" 

"Ryou, I'm awake. What's up?" Yugi settled in, arms folded beneath his chin and atop his pillow. 

"Ahh—! O-Okay, then... well... has Atem ever mentioned a legendary Thief King, from Ancient Egypt?" 

"Thief King?" Yugi echoed, and was startled when his bed-partner bolted suddenly upright. "Atem! What's—?!" 

"Who's on the phone, Yugi?" 

"Great Ra..." Yugi breathed, and Ryou made a questioning sound. "Hey, Atem just woke up... Do you want to talk to him?" 

"Oh Yugi, that would be wonderful! Are you sure he wouldn't mind?" 

"Give me the phone, Yugi," Atem commanded, though his eyes were shadowed with sleep and his hair was sticking out to the side, as opposed to his usual vertical spikes. 

"He wouldn't mind at all," Yugi told Ryou, and then held out the phone to his boyfriend. 

"Oh! Atem! Sorry to bother, at this hour, I just... got all caught up, and—" 

"Out with it, Bakura," Atem commanded, and Ryou squeaked. "What's this about the Thief King?" 

"I just... well, you're an Egyptologist, after all, and that's where you're _from_ , anyway, so I figured if anyone would know anything about—" 

"Where did _you_ hear about the Thief King, though?" Atem demanded, and Ryou swallowed audibly. 

"So there is something..." 

"Bakura, tell me where you heard that title," Atem said, his voice low and almost threatening. Yugi pulled worriedly at the sleeve of his nightshirt. 

"I just... I mean... a friend. A friend mentioned him." Ryou's voice was shaking. 

"Don't lie to me, Ryou Bakura." 

"Atem, don't scare him," Yugi implored. "You know how he is..." 

"O-Okay..." Ryou began hesitantly. "Y-You know how I like to play around with Ouija boards, occasionally...?" 

Atem scrambled up; stumbled from the bed, much to Yugi's increased distress, and cursed as he tripped over a discarded piece of clothing. "You didn't. Tell me you're not going to say what I think you're about to say, Bakura. _Tell me_ you don't have the spirit of the Thief King in your apartment." 

"Well, not at this exact moment, but—" 

"Great Ra!" Atem fumbled with his coat; threw it on over his nightclothes as Yugi began to follow him from the bed. "Okay, Bakura, I need you to _leave that apartment immediately_ , do you understand? I'm coming to get you." 

"Wait, what?!" Ryou spluttered, and Yugi called out his boyfriend's name in confusion. Atem ignored them both. 

"This—this is why Ouija boards have a bad reputation, Ryou," Atem continued, hopping into his shoes. "You've gone and summoned something _bad_ , now, something very bad, and—" 

"Tou wouldn't hurt me!" Ryou objected suddenly, and Atem cursed. 

"Listen to me, Ryou—the so-called Thief King is a _demon-god_. You know I was a pharaoh in a previous life, don't you? I lived during the same time as the Thief King."

"You knew him?!" 

"I _killed_ him, Bakura, when he tried to kill me! After he—!" Atem cut himself off; muttered a curse. "He isn't human—he's a demon, as I said, a demon called Zorc, who took on human form to kill the pharaoh—to kill _me_ , and those I loved." 

"That doesn't make any sense!" Ryou objected. 

"He's deceiving you! He's the best damned liar I've ever met in any lifetime, believe me, and now he's lying to you! I'm coming over, okay? You stay on the phone with me now, and—Bastet!" Atem cursed. 

Yugi—a few steps behind him, on the way to the door—yelped. "What?!" 

"Little asshole hung up on me!" Atem fumed; handed Yugi his phone. "Try to call him. We're going to his apartment." 

"Atem, is he... really in danger...?" 

"Not unless he's done something _really_ stupid like opened a portal..." Atem muttered, flinging the door open and flying down the apartment stairs, Yugi on his heals. "Gods... let him be safe... I can't lose another friend... not to that bastard Thief King... not in this lifetime..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon(-er than the last update) for the final chapter! :'D


	3. Touzokuo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look I'm alive! :o   
> ~~no but for real, this is late, I apologize profusely and hope you enjoy the final chapter of this fic~~~

Ryou Bakura, with shaking hands, unfolded the Ouija board. He fumbled to light a single candle, then tucked the lighter into his pocket. Though he'd set his phone to silent, he saw Yugi's name flashing again and again on the lit screen. 

"Tou? Tou, are you here? Please, answer me!" 

The room grew suddenly less empty, and Ryou felt a sweeping sense of relief as the pointer began to move. "im here... as you command...” 

Ryou laughed breathlessly, almost hearing the sardonic tone. "I did something I shouldn't have, Tou. I—I wanted to know who you were." 

"you could have just asked..." 

"I figured you wouldn't answer." 

"youre probably right haha..." 

Ryou laughed weakly. "I have a friend—he comes from Egypt." 

"figured out that much eh..." 

"Yeah. But I couldn't find any records of someone called Thief King, on the internet, and so I asked my friend. He comes from Egypt, and travels there at least once a year, and he's an Egyptologist, actually, so I figured—" 

"the point..." 

"Well... my friend, he says he knew you. In a previous life." 

There was a beat of silence, and then the pointer moved slowly in the shape of a question mark. 

Ryou swallowed. "His name's Atem. He says he was the pharaoh, when you were alive." 

The spirit didn't react as violently as Ryou would have expected; indeed, when the pointer finally moved, it all but crawled across the board. "so pharaoh atem lives again in this time..." 

"He thought you might hurt me. I told him that you wouldn't, that that was ridiculous, that you would never, but he didn't believe me. He says he's on his way here, now, and I don't know what to do." 

Again the spirit was silent for a long moment, then asked, "did almighty atem tell you anything specific about me...” 

"No," Ryou lied, without hesitation. "He seemed... really freaked out, though." 

"understandable..." was the pensive response. "we didnt see eye to eye the pharaoh and i...” 

"With a title like Thief King, I can image not." 

"haha... thats true... it was a bit worse than all that though...” 

_He said you were a demon..._ Ryou almost admitted it, but the sheer absurdity of the thought kept him from verbalizing it. "I know you're a good spirit, Touzokuo. No matter what happened, in the past." 

There was a long pause, the air heavy with the spirit's presence. Ryou waited patiently, and felt a faint warmth hover over his hand when the pointer finally began to move. 

"im not worth that type of faith nedjem...” 

"But you are. I'm sure of if. I can _feel_ the goodness in you," Ryou insisted. 

The pointer moved restlessly, for a moment, and then spelled out, "thank you... ryou bakura...” 

A pounding sounded at the door, then, and Ryou looked up sharply; didn't take his hand from the pointer. 

"Bakura!" That was Atem's voice from just outside the front door. The pounding came again, harder. "Open up! Open the door, Bakura!" 

"Are you okay, Ryou-kun?" came Yugi's voice. "Please let us in!" 

"I wish..." Ryou whispered, feeling his hands begin to tremble; he placed both of them over the pointer. "I wish we could share a meal, Touzokuo..." 

"so sweet nedjem..." was the reply, spelled out slowly. "but this is for the best... we have to say goodbye for now..." 

"They'll take the board!" Ryou objected, tears in his eyes as he shook his head. "I won't! I won't say goodbye! I'll leave the board now, I'll leave the door open, and—" 

"dont—" The pointer moved forcefully. "do not ryou... dont do that... do you understand..." 

"Ryou, please!" came Yugi's voice, again. 

There was a tremendous _thud_ , and Atem shouted, "I'll break the door if I have to, Bakura!" Again, a crash that shook the house and undoubtedly woke a few neighbors. "Answer me, Bakura!" 

"ryou dont—" the spirit said, jerking the pointer forcefully towards the "goodbye" in the corner of the board. "r-y-o-u-r-y-o-u-r-y-o-u-r-y-" 

"You aren't a demon!" Ryou wailed, looking around the room as if he could see the spirit. Atem slammed into his front door again, and the wood creaked. "I won't believe it!" 

A force seemed to hold Ryou's hands to the pointer, but it was weak—insistent, desperate, but feeble in the physical world. Ryou wrenched his hands away from the board and the pointer soared for "goodbye." It skittered to a halt just short of the word, and Ryou thudded back with the force of his own momentum. Atem threw his shoulder against the door again, and the cheep wood gave with a crash and shower of splinters. 

"Bakura!" 

"Ryou-kun!" 

Ryou Bakura, however, was fixated on the board. It had begun to vibrate, and a strange little vortex of sand started to form above it even as Atem and Yugi careened, colliding with the door-frame and with each other, into the room. 

"Great Ra, you didn't—!" Atem shouted, above the increasing, unnatural sound of wind. Yugi hurried to Ryou's side and helped his friend up, but Ryou pushed away when Yugi tried to pull him toward the door. 

The sand began, slowly, to take form—to take the form of a man. A red robe cracked into being, scattering sand, and the man shook his head to scatter the grains from his mop of gray hair. He looked down at his powerful hands, at his chest, exposed beneath an open robe, and at his board shoulders. Then he looked up, a huge grin twisting the gruesome scar that marred the right side of his face. 

"Great Anubis, I'm back! Look at this!" He held out his hands again, examining their backs and spreading his fingers. "I have _missed_ this body so damn much!" Then his gaze fell on Ryou, eyes and smile softening to something that could only be called tender. He spread his arms. "Ryou... great gods, you are so _stupid_... so kind and so beautiful and so brave and so incredibly _stupid_... I told you _not to_..." 

"Stay back, demon!" Atem snarled, as the Thief King moved towards Ryou. The Thief King stalled; blinked, and then began to laugh raucously. Atem indulged in looking insulted. 

"Bwahahaha! You're just as tiny in this lifetime, Pharaoh! No luck in that genetic draw, ay? I think you've _lost_ an inch or two, since we last met!" 

"Fuck you," Atem spat, making a visible effort to stand straighter. "I'll kill you again, where you stand." 

The Thief King's eyes widened, suddenly, and locked on the third person present, visible over Atem's shoulder; his face lost it's mocking grin, along with most of its color, and he breathed, "Prince?" 

"Prince?" Yugi echoed, in confusion, and Atem moved between Yugi and the Thief King. 

"Leave him out of this, monster!" 

"My prince..." the Thief King breathed, and then dropped down to one knee despite Atem's furious objections. "You two are together, then... thank the gods..." 

"You filthy, _bastard_ thief!" Atem's fist drew back. "Murderer!" 

"Stop!" Ryou grabbed Atem's arm as he threw all of his weight into the punch. They both lurched sideways; Atem had to fight to stay on his feet, but managed it, and flung Ryou off. Ryou yelped; fell, but never hit the ground. 

Instead, he landed against the chest of the Thief King; he felt powerful arms close around him and turned to look up at that scarred face. 

"Oh god, you're handsome..." Ryou breathed, before he could check himself. The Thief King blinked, dark red rising into cheeks. 

"Release him, demon!" Atem shouted, and the Thief King granted him a baleful glare. 

"I'm no demon, Pharaoh," he sneered, his lip curling as he set Ryou back on his own feet. He kept his hands on Ryou's shoulders, though, and Ryou didn't pull away. "I made a _deal_ with a demon. My soul is _fused_ with a demon. But _I'm_ not a demon. There's a big difference, there." 

"Your soul...?" Ryou breathed, and the Thief King looked down at him. 

"I told you not to let me out, Ryou. I told you. If I get out, then _he_ gets out, too." 

"You make it sound like you had no say in the matter, Thief King," came a new, rumbling voice that shook the apartment walls. The Ouija board began to vibrate again—to bounce about madly on the ground. The Thief King drew Ryou closer to him, protectively, and Atem crouched slightly, head swinging around. "I never forced your hand. You made that deal with me, three millennia ago, of your own free will." 

"And then you _consumed_ me!" the Thief King snarled. "That was never part of our agreement!" 

"You were a fool, to think you could hold my will at bay," the voice said, with an otherworldly chuckling. "Your bad judgement isn't my fault. I never said I'd let you keep any of your own identity." 

"You never overwhelmed me, not completely," the Thief King growled, tightening his grip on Ryou's shoulders. "And you won't now, after three millennia." Ryou, without thinking, reached up and folded one hand over Touzokuo's. 

"Couldn't even get rid of me in death..." the demon said, laughing again. "And then..." 

"Shut up, monster!" the Touzokuo roared. 

"... You swear up and down that you regret it, that you hate me, and then you go and make _another_ deal with me, after all these hundreds of years!" The demon bellowed with laughter. 

The Thief King closed his eyes; looked down, and whispered, "Three thousand years is a long time..." 

"You'd make contact with a mortal, and charm them, and get them to let us both out! And then we'd _both_ have our freedom, and you'd have your body back, and _I'd_ have the body of whatever fool you got to open up the portal!" 

Touzokuo tightened his grip on Ryou, who'd begun again to tremble. "I told him not to..." he breathed, then raised his head. "Three thousand years is a long time, but I'll take three thousand _more_! Not this one, Zorc!!" 

The demon's laughter swelled; gained a manic pitch, and he shrieked, "Too late for that, Thief King!" The whole apartment rocked, and Touzokuo scooped Ryou bodily up. Though aware that it was probably not the time to be concerned with such things, Ryou couldn't repress a flustered wave of embarrassment as he was pressed against the Thief King's chest. A second later, the apartment floor buckled; shattered up, and Touzokuo shifted his weight expertly to keep his footing on the shards of carpeted concrete. Yugi screamed, but it was drowned in moments by the sounds of the collapse and the demon's cackling. 

Ryou shut his eyes; clung to the broad-chested man who held him, and breathed in the musky desert scent of a distant Egyptian past. 

The impact of landing jarred Ryou's eyes back open, and he heard the shrill shriek of the woman who lived in the apartment below him. He gasped; choked on the dust and debris, and coughed. Touzokuo's grip on him tightened almost uncomfortably. The neighbor woman paused for breath; continued to scream. 

"This... is lovely..." came a chortling rumble of a voice, and Ryou looked up. A huge, draconian shape towered up through what was left of his bedroom floor; a thick, armored tail smashed into the wall, breaking through into the neighbor woman's living room. 

"See, Pharaoh?" Touzokuo called over, as Atem heaved himself out of a small pile of rubble; Yugi staggered up beside him. "Not me! _Clearly_ not me! Zorc and I are definitely _not_ the same thing!"

"Separate, perhaps, but certainly connected." Zorc lowered his upper body to leer down at the Thief King, malevolent violet eyes glowing amid his deformed face. Touzokuo glared back, unflinching. "Selling your soul isn't without it's consequences, you know." 

Ryou felt the Thief King's chest heave suddenly; clutched questioningly at Touzokuo's red robes. Touzokuo staggered; placed Ryou down, gently and deliberately, as he retched again, then sunk slowly to his knees. Zorc reached down; extended a clawed digit. 

"Kneel." 

Touzokuo's body lurched forward and he vomited sand and blood, one hand hitting the ground for balance. Ryou cried out and crouched beside him as the Thief King crumpled, a moment later, to his elbows. 

"Damn..." Touzokuo breathed; grit his teeth and snapped, "Damn it, Ryou, why'd you have to let me out?!" 

Zorc laughed as Ryou flinched back, then swung to face Atem. "I remember you—the Pharaoh! Strange how fate brings us all back together, millennia later... And even Egypt's young prince..." 

Yugi straightened, even as Atem placed himself firmly in front of him. "Atem, tell me what's happening!" Yugi implored. "I had a past life with you, didn't I? Why haven't you told me?" 

"Because he can't bear to recount the tragic tale of Prince Yugi of Egypt!" Zorc chortled. "But now that Prince Yugi's murderer is back among the living..." 

"That's _you_ , monster, not me!" Touzokuo snarled, pointing at Zorc. "I was only after gold! A thief! You were the killer, the demon!" 

Zorc, with an almost disinterested look, flicked one claw downward, and the Thief King slammed into the ground with a curse. 

"Leave him alone!" Ryou shouted, and Zorc swung to face him. 

"Wait your turn, little sweet. I'll deal with _you_ in just a moment." 

"Stay back, Ryou..." Touzokuo murmured, struggling to pull himself forward, even slightly. The sight made Ryou's heart twist. 

_""i cant take much more of this ryou..."_ the spirit had said. _"of being dead... i want to live again... id give anything..."_

_"being alive is the greatest thing... even if youre in pain... even if youre suffering... even if you have to struggle for every breath... its worth it... take it from a ghost ryou... its worth it"_

"Leave him alone!" Ryou said again, striding forward towards the demon. Atem gave a shout of objection, rushing forward and grabbing his shoulders. Ryou struggled against him. "Let go of me!" 

"You can't fight something like that!" Atem snapped. "We have to run!" 

"Run?!" Yugi demanded, making Atem jump. "And exactly where would we go?!" 

"Egypt," Atem answered, his eyes wild. "There are artifacts, there, that can—" 

"Atem, we can't make it all the way to Egypt with something like _that_ chasing us!" Yugi said, exasperated, with a gesture toward Zorc. 

" _He'll_ make a useful distraction," Atem declared, motioning to where the Thief King still struggled to lift himself from the ground. Touzokuo grinned sardonically. 

"However I can be of service, Pharaoh..." he wheezed out, and Ryou wrenched again at Atem's grip. 

"Then I'll stay behind, too!" Ryou snapped, and Atem rounded on him. 

"Don't even—!" he began, but was cut off by a scream—Yugi's scream. "Yugi!" 

Zorc's hand swept in; plucked Yugi up, like a doll, and held him aloft. Atem instantly released Ryou and started forward. 

"Did you expect me to just wait until you finished your little quarrel?" the demon asked, with a chuckle that rattled what was left of the walls. Sirens shrieked in the distance. "Pity... look at the dear prince struggle..." 

"A-Atem...!" Yugi cried out, and then gasped in pain as Zorc's grip around him tightened. 

"Damn...!" Atem's hands formed fists, but it was a largely useless gesture. He closed his eyes. “Great _Ra_ not again!” 

Ryou’s hearing faded, as he watched Zorc give Yugi a sadistic little shake; he heard Atem’s defiant shouting, but only faintly. Turning, he looked at the King of Thieves—at the resurrected spirit, Touzokuo, driven cruelly to the ground beneath the weight of the deal he had made; struggling to rise despite the hopelessness of it. 

With a strange lightness, Ryou started forward; walked, calmly and deliberately, toward the demon-god Zorc. 

“Bakura! Get back!” That was Atem—Ryou ignored him. “Bakura!” 

“Ryou...!” Touzokuo’s cry was far more tremulous; it didn't suit him, and it pierced Ryou's heart. But he didn't look back at the King of Thieves. 

"Zorc?" Ryou called up, and the demon rumbled; Yugi choked as Zorc's grip tightened around him. 

"Yes, little one?" 

"Would you accept me as tribute? Will you release Touzokuo's soul, if I give you myself?" 

"Ryou!" Touzokuo shouted again, and then cried out roughly. 

Ryou didn't turn to see what had happened; kept his gaze on Zorc Necrophades. "I'll give you my body. So please, release him." 

Zorc chuckled—a deep rumble that made bits of rubble bounce against the ground. "What gives you the impression that I wouldn't take that for myself, regardless?" 

"Wouldn't my willingness make it simpler?" Ryou asked. He couldn't feel his feet touching the ground. He slid one hand into his pocket; held the other out in a gesture of surrender. "I offer myself as tribute. Isn't that what every god desires the most?" 

Zorc laughed again. "Perhaps... perhaps." He let Yugi fall—a violent thing, Yugi's body striking the ground before he had the time to gasp out more than half a cry. Atem screeched his name, but Ryou didn't look back; didn't allow himself to look at Yugi, either. He just began walking, again, toward Zorc. "Come, then. I'll use your body to finish the job and kill your precious friends." 

Ryou heard Touzokuo choke out his name once again; didn't let himself dwell on it. He concentrated on the slight scratch of wood against his chest, and ran his thumb over the smooth plastic of the object in his pocket. He couldn't afford an unsteady hand. He couldn't afford to flinch. 

Zorc's flesh was like decaying crocodile hide; it reeked of rotten meat, and Ryou held his breath as Zorc allowed him to step into his palm. Ryou staggered down onto one knee as he was lifted close to the demon-god's face, but he stared into the blazing hellfire eyes without flinching; didn't allow himself to look away. His pulse quickened. 

"So, little sweet..." Zorc rumbled, and licked his lips. He brought Ryou closer—close enough to be bathed in the demon's rank breath. "You'll—" 

Ryou moved—his left hand yanking the pendant from around his neck, his right jerking the lighter from his pocket and flicking the wheel. The amulet—the one he always wore during sessions, the one made of anise seeds and holly and rosemary and St. John's Wort all wrapped up in a dried, woven amaranth plant—caught fire like the kindling it was. Ryou flung it, with all the strength he had, into Zorc’s open mouth. 

For a second, as the flaming object flew, there was perfect stillness. Ryou watched it sail into the dark cavern, dimming in the dank shadow, and then it struck the back of Zorc’s mouth in an explosion of color and sparks. 

Zorc roared; threw his head back and dropped Ryou, both hands flying up. As Ryou fell, he saw Zorc’s throat erupt in blazing rainbow, as though fireworks had been set off inside it. His body felt weightless, and it occurred to him that the fiery explosion was beautiful; his white hair whipped up, obscuring his vision, and he braced for the coming impact. 

Ryou thudded into something soft; heard a pained, “Oof!” and felt something crumple beneath him. Bits of putrid demon-flesh came pattering down, followed by larger chunks, and Ryou was vaguely aware of being bundled backwards. Zorc’s body was beginning to steam, noxious miasma making it difficult to breathe, and Ryou clapped his hands over his mouth and nose. 

“Pharaoh!” came Touzokuo’s rough shout near Ryou’s ear. “Have you got the prince?” 

Atem shouted an affirmation, and Ryou felt Touzokuo pick up speed. There was a cacophony of wet crunching, then a tremendous _crash_ behind them, and Touzokuo staggered. Atem reached the front door first—which the neighbor woman, presumably as she fled, had left wide open—and darted out into the hallway. Touzokuo was right behind him, though he stumbled again. 

“I can walk...!” Ryou said, and the King of Thieves let him reluctantly down. Hand-in-hand, they raced after Atem toward the stairwell. The sirens were ear-splitting, by then, overpowering the sound of people shouting and screaming. Atem struggled with the door to the stairs, his arms occupied with Yugi; Touzokuo shouldered him aside to open it, but let Atem go through first. Once Ryou was through, next, Touzokuo slammed and locked the door behind them. 

For a moment, there was only the harsh sounds of breathing—everything else muffled slightly by the stairwell. Yugi had regained consciousness, though he still appeared dazed. Atem set him gently down, then jerked his head towards the downwards steps. 

“Back to our place. Now.” 

Atem didn’t wait for acknowledgement, simply started downward. 

Touzokuo glanced at Ryou, who nodded; squeezed Touzokuo’s calloused hand. “We can’t stay here,” he murmured. Together they followed Atem, slipping out of the building. Most of the emergency vehicles were crowed on the main road, in front of the building, so it was easy to slip through the back allies. The apartment that Atem and Yugi shared was only a couple of blocks away, and together the four of them ran. Touzokuo's hand never left Ryou's. 

Atem motioned them all toward a side entrance of the building, pushing Yugi and then Ryou though the door. Touzokuo released Ryou's hand at last, pausing to stare at the once-King of Egypt. Ryou stumbled to a halt, turning back, but stayed instinctively silent as the two stared at one another. 

"Get in," Atem said, jerking his head. 

"You trust me enough to let me into your house?" Touzokuo asked. 

Atem gave a harsh laugh. "Only if you trust me enough to enter. I've killed you once already." 

Touzokuo's lip curled. "Fair." 

Atem scowled; said, "Get in!" again, and this time gave Touzokuo's shoulder a rough shove in that direction. Ryou hurried forward to intervene, but Touzokuo only chuckled as he complied. Atem closed the door behind them, then let Yugi lead them up the stairs. 

"You aren't hurt, Ryou?" Yugi asked, as he ushered Ryou and Touzokuo into the apartment. 

Ryou shook his head; watched as Touzokuo wandered into the living room, but then turned to Yugi. "No. A bit shaken, that's all. You? That was a nasty fall you took..." 

"I'm fine, I'm fine! You were incredible!" Yugi grasped Ryou's hands. "You took him down! We all would've...!" 

Ryou shrugged, growing slightly uncomfortable with the praise. "I mean... I summon spirits. I've thought about worse-case scenario before. I was prepared, that's all." 

"Prepared to fight a demon-god?" Touzokuo asked, from where he'd plunked down onto the couch. "Y'never would've needed to if you hadn't let me out, though." 

"That wasn't an option!" Ryou said, surprised by his own insistence. Touzokuo, too, seemed mildly startled, and didn't argue. 

"You," Atem said, pointing to the King of Thieves. "You don't leave this room. I don't want you snooping around my house." 

Touzokuo held up his hands. "As the Pharaoh commands." 

Atem scowled, but then turned and stalked into the kitchen. Yugi followed, leaving Ryou to shuffle over and sit—lightly—beside Touzokuo. He glanced over; met the Thief King's limpid gray gaze. 

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked softly. 

"I can hear myself think clearly for the first time in three thousand years," Touzokuo said, his voice warm. He smiled, and it wasn't an entirely nice expression—it was close, though, and Ryou felt himself soften. 

"I'm so glad."

... ... ... 

Two weeks after the incident, Ryou moved into a new apartment—the old one, for reasons that remained unknown to authorities, had been destroyed by a demonic entity. In those two weeks of investigations and paperwork and insurance claims, Yugi and Atem had been good enough to loan out their couch to him.

Ryou didn't miss his old apartment. It had always felt a bit empty, a bit dark, sadness hanging stagnant in the air. The new apartment felt alive. 

"It'll be weird not sleep smushed together on that tiny lil' couch," the King of Thieves crooned, coming up behind Ryou. He wrapped his arms around Ryou's midsection and gave it a little squeeze. "I like having our own kitchen, though." 

Ryou hummed in agreement, skewering a piece of beef and offering it over his shoulder. Touzokuo snapped his teeth down on the chopstick, then murmured with delight at the taste. He swallowed, then kissed Ryou on the cheek. 

They shared supper at their dining room table, then retired to the bedroom. Though it wasn't as small as the couch in Atem and Yugi's apartment, the full-size bed was still cozy and intimate, and they cuddled together beneath the blankets. 

"I love you, Ryou..." Touzokuo breathed, nuzzling into the crook of Ryou's neck. 

Ryou laughed softly; kissed Touzokuo's forehead. "I love you, too. I'm so glad you found me." 

Touzokuo scoffed. "Idiot... just... no Ouija boards in this house. Ever." 

"Never," Ryou swore, and he meant it. There would be no need.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are my favorite thing in the _world_ , so please do consider leaving one~ Kudos are also greatly loved and appreciated! See you again soon in the next chapter~


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